# Hydrometers,,,which is best..



## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

Folks
I am in the process of changing all the batteries and checking
calibrations.....
I have 6,,,,several differant brands....all able to calibrate..

I have found that when using the salt test, all are reading a little 
Low....Recalibrated....

Then tested with 65 Boveda pack,,,,,All were slightly differant.

I am recalibrating based on 65 since most of my stock is between 60-65.

I realize all have +/- 2.......Is this based on 75rh ?

Any thoughts are appreciated.

What brand works the best

Thanks for your time
Al


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## jbrown287 (Aug 18, 2010)

I just got in a wester caliber iii and it seems to be spot on from the factory. It can't be calibrated like my other one. They say it comes from the factory calibrated and it's only off 1% which I can live with. I test mine with a boveda calibration pack which is 75%


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

I too have the Western,,,,it is -4 @ 65, -7 @ 75......with new battery


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## jbrown287 (Aug 18, 2010)

Has it always been -4 off? I thought they were suppose to hold tighter tolerances than that. Their website says + or -1 might be a defect.


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## MoreBeer (Feb 13, 2010)

With me, I've found that cheap hygro's are usually not "consistently inaccurate". Such as, if its 4% off at 65%, it might be dead on at 70%. You never know with these things.

I have a few which I believe are close although one day I need to pick up at least one high-end model but even those are rated as +/- 4% although its most likely consistent throughout the range.

Humidity is much more difficult to accurately measure than temperature. Heck, a 99 cent thermometer is almost always dead-on. But the way I see it, is if I'm within 3% or so on the RH reading, my cigars will probably survive.


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

jbrown287 said:


> Has it always been -4 off? I thought they were suppose to hold tighter tolerances than that. Their website says + or -1 might be a defect.


It is reading 62% with 65 Bov pack,,,,,close enough for me.....


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

I am finding that all are closer at 65......Most +/-1.....
Not the case at 70....They all read under by 4.

Not a big deal for me since I keep everything 60-65.

But if you stored at 70,,you would really storing at 74-75...


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

The western now is only down by 1%


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## ptpablo (Aug 22, 2010)

Are you using the 65% boveda pack in a humidor or a tupperware to do the test?? i have 2 Caliber III and one came out of the box -5 and they swapped it for a new one. the directions state do not do a salt test as a way of calibrating also. dont know why but thats what they say.


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## MATADOR (Nov 12, 2010)

jbrown287 said:


> I just got in a wester caliber iii and it seems to be spot on from the factory. It can't be calibrated like my other one. They say it comes from the factory calibrated and it's only off 1% which I can live with. I test mine with a boveda calibration pack which is 75%


+1

The Caliber III are the best hygro I've ever had!


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## smelvis (Sep 7, 2009)

Ditto on having many different brands, I am liking the cheap one I got from Mr. Smitty's website for about $13/14 Just can't seem to win, I have replaced battery's and had them just never work again. but work fine until that point.


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## ptpablo (Aug 22, 2010)

I do love my caliberIII's and recommend them to all, but i also have the round hygro set II and that can be calibrated and i've changed the battery in that 3 times and its still working solid! so i recommend any of those 2.


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## jbrown287 (Aug 18, 2010)

smelvis said:


> Ditto on having many different brands, I am liking the cheap one I got from Mr. Smitty's website for about $13/14 Just can't seem to win, I have replaced battery's and had them just never work again. but work fine until that point.


I got both my westerns off amazon which came from cheaphumidors for around $8.00 each. If you look at them on CH website they are about double that.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

asmartbull said:


> Folks
> I am in the process of changing all the batteries and checking
> calibrations.....
> I have 6,,,,several differant brands....all able to calibrate..
> ...


This is the one i use i have 3 of them they are all to within 1%.

Little Havana Hygrometer-Thermometer

I got them at Famous they are up to $7 cheaper elsewhere.
Every-time i change the batteries which has only been once in 2 1/2 years they are still to within %1. I have had others like Csonka, X1-kar, never had any luck with them they where always off by 5% or more. After changing the batteries they really went haywire. I always calibrate with a boveda pack at the R/H which i intend to use them at. As Don Herf and Turf has suggested many times on the forum.:smoke:


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## Batista30 (Sep 13, 2010)

Caliber III. Love it.


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## Behike007 (Sep 13, 2010)

NIST Certified. No calibration required. CA uses it too.










Found at: SALE - NIST Certified Digital Hygrometer 4096 - $59.50 - Fine Weather Instruments - The Weather Store


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## Dando (Jul 16, 2010)

Hovy said:


> NIST Certified. No calibration required. CA uses it too.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


In the link you provided it states: Resolution is 1% RH, and accuracy is ±2%RH mid-range to ±4%RH elsewhere.

Midrange would be 60%RH so accuracy is ±2%RH there. If you would like to keep your cigars at 70%RH this device would report ±4%RH accuracy (yikes!). Since it states ±4%RH elsewhere. Elsewhere would be between 25 - 59 %RH and 61 - 90 %RH.

After calibration via the salt test I place the hygrometers in a zip lock bag with 70%RH Heartfelt beads for 6 hours and see where the hygrometers are at.

I have 11 hygrometers and do these tests every 6 months and all my hygrometers are never more than ±2%RH at 70/70.

I use these hygrometers. Not bad for $19

Dando


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

Most @ around 20.00 are pretty much the same....

The big thing with me is that I want to calibrate it at
65 or 60 rh

Although I have found that my 2 xikar's that calibrate at 
75 are spot on at 65......


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## Mr_mich (Sep 2, 2010)

MATADOR said:


> +1
> 
> The Caliber III are the best hygro I've ever had!


Agreed!

I just did the test with the bovida callbration pack. my other 3 round hydros were all off by a few% and the Caliber III was dead on 75. And thats the one i've had the longest. it's a great hygro especially at the price. I think i got it of amazon for around 12 bucks on a sale.


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## MoreBeer (Feb 13, 2010)

Just because a hygro is calibrated using the salt method, doesn't mean its going to be dead accurate away from the calibration 75% level, such as 65%. It would be nice to have a totally reliable 65% calibration method.


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## Athion (Jul 17, 2010)

Here is the unit for the *TRULY* OCD... you can keep up to the second tabs on your RH in up to 3 different locations...

SALE - NIST Certified Wireless Hygrometer Thermometer 4380 - $79.95 - Fine Weather Instruments - The Weather Store


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## Stubby (Dec 6, 2010)

I had an Oregon Scientific weather station that I have been using for about 2 years. The remote sensors send Temp and rH to the base station that tells Temp and rH in the house. I bought another sensor for it for inside the Humidor. 

It seems to be dead on with the humidity. Mine reads 71% with a Boveda 72% humidpak. My old xikar hygrometer which was salt calibrated measures the same reading.

I now have one device that has indoor, outdoor, and humidor data all on my desktop.

The station I use is the Oregon Scientific BAR208HGA.


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## thunderdan11 (Nov 15, 2010)

Most of mine have been plus or minus .3, I just ordered a Xikar and it was dead on accurate at 75%. I was very surprised.....


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## Mountain Lion (Sep 24, 2010)

I have had the small black Csonka hygrometer for almost 8 years and it is still dead on accurate.


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## Stubby (Dec 6, 2010)

Here is a picture of the unit I was talking about. It has a wireless transmitter that sits inside the humidor.


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

I like the ones that you can calibrate.
I don't care if it is on at 75 RH
I do care at 60 and 65.....

That said the xikar that is pretty good..

But the rest of mine are clibratable....if there is such a word


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## Entan (Jul 20, 2010)

I have several hygrometers, including a Xikar. I find the most accurate at any humidity between 60 and 75% are the Hygroset. I have one round and one rectangular. When placed in a Boveda 75% calibration bag they read the same humidity at any given time. I didn't even need to adjust them as after 36 hours they both ready 75% at 70F. The Xikar also got to 75% but between 60% and 70% it read up to 4% too low. I may return it for an exchange if possible. My vote is for the Hygroset hygrometers based on my experience.


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